Garrett, Livingston, Ridenour win first-place Ohio APME awards

The Akron Beacon Journal earned three first-place awards in the annual Ohio Associated Press Media Editors statewide journalism contest Sunday.

The first-place awards went to reporter Amanda Garrett for best news reporter based on a selection of her work, reporter Doug Livingston and former reporter Seyma Bayram for best enterprise report for “How Catholic Democrats in Akron helped write the conservative playbook to overturn Roe," and former sports reporter Marla Ridenour for best sports columnist.

The newspaper won 10 overall awards in that state's most competitive journalism contest while competing in Division V for the largest newspapers.

"We congratulate all of our winners for their outstanding work and all they do every day to serve the Greater Akron community with high-quality journalism," Beacon Journal Editor Michael Shearer said.

Ridenour also won a second-place award for best sports writer.

Bayram also won third place for best explanatory writing for her work on “The failed Akron Innerbelt drove decades of racial inequity. Can the damage be repaired?”

Other winners included:

• Best digital project, second place: Stephanie Warsmith and Paula Schleis, “I always have hope':  Sister of missing teen found murdered in 1964 still seeks justice"

• Best sports photo, second place: Jeff Lange, “Eye Gouge"

• Best sports feature writer, third place: Nate Ulrich

• Best feature writer, third place: Craig Webb

• Best full page design, third place: Sydney Clark

Reporter Derek Kreider won second-place for best news writer in Division II for work he completed at the Wooster Daily Record before joining the Beacon Journal.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Beacon Journal wins 10 awards from Ohio APME journalism contest